Calculation of House of a Planet

It is very important to consider the house division for correct predictions. The planets show their behaviour according to the house they occupy. This lesson describes the method to calculate the dimensions of the house and thus determine in which house the planet lies. It also describes the Western or K P Method of house division.

By now we have learnt how to calculate ascendant, tenth house and planets' position. Using this data, we shall now determine the span of a house and in which house a planet is posited.

What is a House?
The circle of the zodiac is divided into 12 divisions called houses. Each house does not necessarily extend to 30⁰ - it is either less or more. According to the Vedic astrology, ascendant is the mid point of the first house and mid heaven is the mid point of the tenth house. A house starts approximately 15⁰ before the mid point and extends about 15⁰ beyond the mid point. The point at which the first house ends and next house starts is called "Bhava Sandhi" and the house extends from first Sandhi to the next. However, the whole sign does not fall in one house. A house normally extends over two signs. Each planet, depending upon its degree, falls in one sign and one house. The house as visible in the Lagna chart is not the planet's actual house position.

House division
For any date, time and place, there are some stars rising in the eastern origin and some stars setting in the western horizon. This is because of the earth's rotation around its axis. The eastern horizon is called the first house, whereas the western horizon is the 7th house. The point above the head of the person is called the mid heaven or the 10th house. In Indian system of house division the rising point, the setting point and the mid heaven point are considered the centre of the 1st house, 7th house and 10th house respectively, whereas in the western system these are considered the starting points of the houses.

Why do we calculate house
In astrology, we describe the planet's results in a particular house. The planets are known to give results according to the house in which they live. The Lagna chart only tells us in which sign a planet is posited. It also tells us about the aspects of a planet on the other planets. However, it does not confirm the house in which a planet is situated. So we make another chart called Chalit, which gives us the information about the house in which a planet is posited.

To draw the Chalit chart, determine the starting point of the twelve houses as described and if the planet degree lies in the extent of the house, then place the planet in that house. Normally the house position derived in such a manner and the house occupied by the planet in the Lagna chart are same. But they tend to differ if the ascendant degree is high and planet degree is low or vice versa. To represent this situation, sometimes we place the planet in Bhava Sandhi. We draw a chart with twelve houses and twelve Bhava Sandhis. The planet which is in the same house in Lagna or as per house degrees, it is placed in the house; else it is placed in the Bhava Sandhi.

In the South Indian style where each box represents a sign (not a house) we mark the houses with degrees and place the planets and houses in the order of the degree they own. If a planet is beyond the limit of the house we take it in the next house.

Different methods are in vogue to determine the extent of the house. However, only two systems of house division are common.

1. Indian system of house division :
In this system ascendant and the mid heaven are calculated and the difference between them is divided into six equal parts. The mid heaven is the centre of 10th house. Adding the sixth part gives the ending of 10th house or starting of 11th house. Adding of sixth part again and again gives 11th house middle, 12th house beginning, 12th house middle, 1st house beginning and 1st house middle. In a similar way adding to the ascendant successively the sixth part of the difference between 4th house and the ascendant, longitudes of the 2nd and 3rd houses are obtained. The remaining houses can be calculated by adding 6 signs to each of the opposite house.

Example : Compute house degrees for native born on 15.01.1970 at 11.30 AM at Delhi.

From the previous lessons we have :

Ascendant : Pisces 22⁰ 51'
Tenth house : Sagittarius 17⁰ 7'
Subtracting 10th house degree from ascendant

We get 352⁰ 51'

257⁰ 07'
95⁰ 44'

Dividing by 6 we get 15⁰ 57'20"

Adding this to 10th house degree we get

10th house                     Sag. 17⁰ 71
11th house beginning    Cap.   3⁰    4'
11th house middle        Cap. 19⁰   2'
12th house beginning    Aqu.  4⁰   59'
12th house middle        Aqu. 20⁰ 56'
1st house beginning       Pisc.  6⁰ 54'
1st house middle           Pisc. 22⁰ 51'

Similarly computing other house degrees we get :

House House     Start House Middle

1        Pis.   6⁰ 54'         Pis.      22⁰ 51'

2       Ari.   6⁰ 54'         Ari.     20⁰ 56'

3       Tau.   4⁰ 59'        Tau     19⁰ 2'

4       Gem.  3⁰ 4'        Gem     17⁰ 7'

5       Can.  3⁰ 4'         Can     19⁰ 2'

6        Leo.  4⁰ 59'       Leo     20⁰ 56'

7       Vir.  6⁰ 54'         Vir     22⁰ 51'

8       Lib. 6⁰ 54'          Lib.     20⁰ 56'

9       Sco. 4⁰ 59'        Sco.     19⁰ 2'

10       Sag. 3⁰ 4'        Sag.      17⁰ 7'

11      Cap. 3⁰ 4'         Cap.    19⁰ 2'

12      Aqu. 4⁰ 59        Aqu.    20⁰ 56'

2. Western system or placidus system of house division :
In this system, the star rising in the eastern horizon is on the ascendant. It then passes over the 12th house, the 11th house, the 10th house etc. in equal intervals of time, until it sets when it reaches the descendant. The ascendant and mid heaven are taken as start of the respective house and not the centre. The exact method of calculation of house degrees is difficult and tables are available to compute it on the basis of the sidereal time or the 10th house.

Krishnamurthy System uses the above system of house division only.

The values calculated for the model horoscope for the twelve cusps, as per placidus system, are :

1 Pis.       22⁰ 51'
2 Ari.       27⁰ 17'
3 Tau.      23⁰ 36'
4 Gem.    17⁰ 7'
5 Can.     12⁰ 6'
6 Leo      12⁰ 55'
7 Vir.       22⁰ 51'
8 Lib.       27⁰ 17'
9 Sco.      23⁰ 36'
10 Sag.    17⁰ 7'
11 Cap.   12⁰ 6'
12 Aqu.   12⁰ 55'

The model horoscope planet degrees are as follows :

Planet Sign      Degree

Sun            Cap        1⁰ 14'
Mon         Ari           9⁰ 36'
Mar         Aqu        29⁰ 24'
Mer-R     Sag         26⁰ 54'
Jup            Lib         10⁰ 36'
Ven         Sag          25⁰ 15'
Sat           Ari               8⁰ 44'
Rah-R    Aqu           19⁰ 41'
Ket -R    Leo            19⁰ 41'
Ura-R     Vir             15⁰ 14'
Nep        Sco              6⁰ 48'
Plu-R       Vir              3⁰ 49'

The Lagna chart is as below :

The planets Sun and Pluto to move to previous house as per Indian system of house division, because Sun is at Cap 1⁰14' and the 11th house starts from Cap 3⁰ 5', hence leaving Sun in the 10th house. Similarly Pluto is at Virgo 3⁰ 49', 7th house starts from Virgo 6⁰ 54' thus leaving Pluto in the 6th house. Hence Chalit chart is as shown.

                           It is also represented as.                            

In the Chalit Chakra, it is clear from the placement that Sun and Pluto to have moved out from their house to the previous house.

The cusp chart as per the western system is shown as follows :

Here Sat and Mon move to the 1st Cusp, Plu and Uranus in 6th cusp Jupiter in 7th, Neptune in 8th and Sun in 10th, rest in the same cusp as in Lagna.

If we do a comparative study we find the house of the planets in the given horoscope in Lagna, Chalit and cuspal charts as follows:

Planet    Lagna         Chalit       Cusp
                               (Ind.Sys.) (Wes. Sys.)

Sun           11              10              10
Mon            2                2              1
Mar           12              12             12
Mer           10              10             10
Jup             8                8               7
Ven           10              10            10
Sat             2                2              1
Rah           12              12            12
Ket             6                6             6
Ura             7                7             6
Nep             9                9            8
Plu              7                6              6

From the table we notice that many planets change their cuspal position compared to Lagna chart whereas only a few change in the Chalit chart. This is because in the cuspal chart ascendant degree is taken as the start of the house and not the middle. So the probability of change of house is increased. Secondly, in cusp more planets move to the previous house, again because the start of house in cusp is higher than in chalit.

Important
It is very important to consider the house division for correct predictions. The planets show their behaviour according to the house they occupy. The behaviour is enhanced depending upon its strength, which is determined depending upon the sign or Nakshatra it occupies. Hence use Lagna chart only to know the sign in which a planet is posited and use Chalit chart to confirm the house position of the planet. Do not take the aspects as per the house or Lagna chart. Look at the degrees to determine if there is any aspect between two planets.

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